Recent heavy rains have forced Shellharbour City Council to cancel indoor sporting events at Shellharbour City Stadium due to the risk to players.

Illawarra Vikings Futsal night manager Gina Jones said games had been cancelled over several weeks in February because of water on the courts.

She said the problems dated back to when the multimillion-dollar complex opened in 2000, although the council said the leaks were first noticed in 2005.

‘‘It’s a beautiful stadium, but its reputation is really going down the gurgler because they haven’t fixed the roof and everybody knows,’’ Ms Jones said.

The Croome Rd facility at Albion Park is also home to wheelchair basketball champions the Wollongong Roller Hawks.

Veteran player Eino Okkonen said at times the leaking roof had caused the club’s junior development program to be cancelled.

‘‘It caters for all our needs and we couldn’t ask for a better facility, except for the leaking roof,’’ he said.

Others have vented their frustration online, forming a Facebook group calling for the roof to be fixed.

The council last year began legal action against the designer and project manager, and has also hired a firm to trial water-proofing treatments above one of the stadium’s three courts.

Tenders have been called for detailed design services to fix the roof.

The council’s manager of assets and projects, Graham Standen, said the trial temporary repair would take place in the next two months and was expected to cost about $13,000.

If successful, it would be extended across the roof.

The temporary fix involved a sealant membrane over the joints between the roof sheets.

‘‘We are progressing with a design for a more permanent solution at this point in time, so we’re not sitting back waiting for the court case to end,’’ Mr Standen said.

He said the leaks were sporadic and involved water dripping onto the polished wooden floor, and that the problem had become worse in recent years.

The council had taken action against architects Collard Clarke Jackson and construction management firm Manteena, he said. Both firms declined to comment yesterday due to the legal proceedings. The matter is listed for directions in the NSW Supreme Court on May 18.

Meantime, work at WIN Stadium is expected to be finished by June 8, in time for the St George Illawarra Dragons game against the Bulldogs on the weekend of June 15-18.